The city of Miami announced it will sponsor an “anti-communist” concert to push back against recent comments from Sen. Bernie Sanders defending the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba.
“When Fidel Castro came to office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program,” the 2020 Democrat said on Sunday. “Is that a bad thing, even though Fidel Castro did it?”
The comment sparked outrage across the country, especially in Miami where a large Cuban population, many who escaped Castro’s regime, calls home.
“Our city represents the stories of countless individuals who have risked their lives to flee communism,” Mayor Francis Suarez said Monday. “Each and every life that has fled communism has proven how the will to pursue democracy and freedom, even in the face of oppression, can never be suppressed or silenced.”
“What Sen. Sanders conveniently omitted from his colorful characterization of communist Cuba was Castro’s forceful and violent imposition of power, attacking human rights and freedom of speech, thereby minimizing the sacrifice of those who fought to break free from his suffocating hand,” he added.
The Vermont senator’s comments drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. In addition to receiving rebuke from GOP Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, a Democratic congresswoman also slammed the remarks. He additionally took heat from fellow 2020 Democrat Michael Bloomberg.
Despite the backlash, Sanders doubled down on his claim during a CNN town hall on Monday, saying, “Truth is truth.”
Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo set the date for the anti-communist concert for April 11 at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami. All of the city’s elected officials agreed in a 5-0 vote to co-sponsor the event at the city-owned Knight Center and added that the city will waive up to $21,500 in rental costs, broadcasting fees, and police and fire services.
